“He had suffered a deep laceration of his foot, and it did appear to be broken. When we arrived it was getting dark,” Leum said.
The team, which included John Rodarte and Capt. Janet Henderson, treated Negrie until they were joined by Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel. Rescuers had to carry him up to a clear hillside area before the helicopter could hoist him aboard, Leum said.
Negrie apparently had slid down the falls that is now covered in slippery moss and landed hard on the ground. He was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Leum said.
With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees throughout the weekend, even in the mountains, rescuers were kept busy responding to ill-prepared hikers. Even as the all-volunteer rescue team responded to the man at Switzer Falls, several other hikers were suffering from dehydration, Leum said.
“As we went running down the trail, about two miles, we ran into hikers that were suffering from slight dehydration. We were giving water to them as we made our way [to the victim],” he said.
“It was like that all day. We saw hikers that had run out of water and were drinking water [in ponds and creeks] that they shouldn’t have been drinking. Some were drinking in areas that had signs clearly saying not to drink the water.”
The Glendale Fire Department also received more calls related to heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Most emergency calls during hot days are usually for complaints of dizziness or difficulty breathing, said Glendale Fire Capt. Vince Rifino.
“As the heat increases we see more of those types of calls,” he said.
Hospitals also deal with those who are ill-prepared for the harsh summer heat.
“Symptoms like headaches, nausea and vomiting are common, and then there are more severe symptoms that include confusion and a high body temperature in the case of heat stroke,” said Evelyn Wong, attending physician, at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
The fact that a person may be in good shape does not mean they can survive the heat any better than anyone else, Wong said. As temperatures rise, the body will try to lower its temperature by sweating, and if the person doesn’t drink enough water to replenish that loss, heat illness symptoms can set in, she added.
County health officials again issued warnings Monday of high temperatures that were expected to last all week and through the upcoming weekend.
